Safety departments just seem to continually search for obstacles to throw in.
Most times it's just to keep people in a job with HSE, checking that risk assessments etc have been done.
I think you should both take a look at how many people have been killed or badly injured in construction work through history, and how many of those deaths and injuries, leaving families bereaved, destitute, leaving workers in pain or disabled, could have been avoided if unsafe practices were not allowed.
Generally H&S legislation is brought in because the evidence shows that there is a problem which needs addressing, that people cannot be trusted to use common sense, that employers cannot be trusted not to put profit before the health and safety of their employees, etc.
Risks being it has rotating mechanical parts, COSHH for cement dust, if electric : electrocution risk or petrol : fire risk.
If those are classed as risks then it will be because people
have mangled themselves in rotating mechanical parts, they
have damaged their eyes or lungs with cement dust, they
have been electrocuted or burned, there
have been fires etc.
